Title of Invention	"A DEVICE FOR SOLID STATE/SURFACE FARMENTATION IN CONTINUOUS MANNER"
Abstract	A device for solid state/surface fermentation in a continuous manner comprising a medium supply line (1) connected to a manifold (2) to connect a series of horizontal tubes (3) provided with a series of perforations (3A) on the horizontal face as outlets for the medium, pieces of fibrous support (4) hanging down from each of said horizontal tubes (3) provided to enable downward gravitational flow of the medium into a collecting tray (5) located just below said fibrous support, a box (6) being adapted to shield the system from gross contamination of aerial micro-organisms, said box being provided with an inlet (7) and a n outlet (7A) for controlling the temperature inside the box, and a temperature probe (8) being adapted to measure the temperature in the box.

Title of Invention

"A DEVICE FOR SOLID STATE/SURFACE FARMENTATION IN CONTINUOUS MANNER"

Abstract

A device for solid state/surface fermentation in a continuous manner comprising a medium supply line (1) connected to a manifold (2) to connect a series of horizontal tubes (3) provided with a series of perforations (3A) on the horizontal face as outlets for the medium, pieces of fibrous support (4) hanging down from each of said horizontal tubes (3) provided to enable downward gravitational flow of the medium into a collecting tray (5) located just below said fibrous support, a box (6) being adapted to shield the system from gross contamination of aerial micro-organisms, said box being provided with an inlet (7) and a n outlet (7A) for controlling the temperature inside the box, and a temperature probe (8) being adapted to measure the temperature in the box.

Full Text	This invention relates to a device for solid state/surface fermentation in a continuous manner. Specifically, this invention relates to a device for carrying out the process of solid state/surface fermentation in a continuous manner. Submerged fermentation is known in the art and, wherein, the step of fermentation is carried out in the bulk of the liquid medium. Submerged fermentation may be of a continuous or batch type. In a batch mode of fermentation, the liquid medium is introduced into a reactor, the organism is inoculated into the medium, and in the presence of oxygen the organism is allowed to grow. The fermentation is terminated at an appropriate stage and the desired product recovered from the medium. In a continuous mode of fermentation a steady state of optimal conversion is achieved and maintained by continuously feeding the reactor with the material to be converted and the product isolated from the continuously drained reaction mixture. An advantage of such a continuous mode of fermentation is that the process is faster and, further, there is a saving in the materials employed for the process. Solid substrate or surface fermentation is also known in the art and, wherein, the step of fermentation is carried out on a solid substrate, such as wheat bran. In such a process, the solid substrate is suitably moistened; sterilized and spread in trays. The organism is inoculated into the substrate and allowed to grow. Solid substrate fermentation is normally of a batch mode. A disadvantage of this system is that of upsealing. If the depth of the tray is too much/ the inner mass of bran does not receive adequate humidity/ oxygen and withdrawal of metabolic heat. However, an equivalent to the continuous mode of submerged fermentation is to push forward the solid mass through a screw thread type reactor and adjust the retention time appropriately. Here/ although the product can be formed from the substrate continuously/ a disadvantage of such a plug flow device is that there is a considerable wastage of time since the growth of the organism to an appropriate stage is first required. Yet another disadvantage is that a substantial amount of material is required for the process. Further there is no exact equivalence of the continuous mode of submerged state fermentation in solid state fermentation. This is because of the following limitations: 1. It is not possible to upscale the process without a mechanism to withdraw the metabolic heat generated from the deep interior of the fermentation mass. 2. It is also not possible to maintain appropriate levels of humidity and oxygen tension in upscaled systems. 3. There is no known mechanism to continuously feed a substrate and withdraw the finished product from around the microenviornment of the grown organisms. Therefore an object of this invention is to propose a novel device for carrying out solid state/surface fermentations in a continuous manner and which is efficient. Another object of this invention is to propose a device for carrying out solid state fermentation in a continuous manner which allows upscaling. Still another object of this invention is to propose a device for carrying out solid state fermentation in a continuous manner which allows a withdrawal of metabolic heat. Yet another obiject of this invention is to propose a device for carrying out solid state fermentation in a continuous manner which maintain appropriate levels of humidity and oxygen tension. A further object of this invention is to propose a device to effect economies of raw material and time by making repeated use of the same biomass grown at the begining. Another object of this invention is to propose a device to carry out the reaction in a continuous fashion in successive stages using different organisms to bring about sequential bioconversions since it is possible to use the bioconverted medium from an earlier stage as a feed medium for the next organism. Yet another object of the device is to enable solid state fermentation to be carrtBdiTout in a closed enviornment thereby preventing the exposure of staff to an area which normally is full of microbial population as also to safeguard the microbial biomass from picking up aerial contamination. Still another object of this invention is to propose a device which can be used for isolating microbial cultures with desired properties by imposing appropriate restrictive condition such as: i) Isolating microorganisms with ability to biodegrade a known molecule by incorporating it as single source of carbon in the medium employed, allowing free access of air past the stationary support and picking up the colonies from the support, ii) Isolating organisms which can grow under defined extreme conditions such as those of pH, temperature, salt concentration etc. by imposing corresponding conditions on the enviornment in the device and collecting strains growing on the stationary support. According to this invention there is provided a device for solid state/surface fermentation in a continuous manner comprising a medium supply line connected to a manifold to connect a series of horizontal tubes provided with a series of perforations on the horizontal face as outlets for the medium, pieces of fibrous support hanging down from each of said horizontal tubes provided to enable downward gravitational flow of the medium into a collecting tray located just below said fibrous support, a box being adapted to shield the system from gross contamination of aerial micro-organisms, said box being provided with an inlet and an outlet for controlling the temperature inside the box, and a temperature probe being adapted to measure the temperature in the box. In accordance with this invention, a microbial culture is allowed to grow to an appropriate level on the stationary fibrous support after which the medium is let through the fibrous support under desired conditions of temperature, airflow, etc. to optimize bioconversion. The concentration and flow rate of the medium is so adjusted as to obtain the desired level of humidity and degree of bioconversion based on the availability of biomass and retention time in the flow through volume. The medium flows from a main reservoir (not shown in the figure), through an appropriate filter (not shown in the figure), the supply line, the manifold, individual tubes, and fibrous support. The fermentative conversion is brought about its passage through the fibres of the fibrous support on the outer sides of which the desired organisms is present at the optimum stage of growth. The flow rate is so adjusted as to bring about the bioconversion in the time taken for its downward passage. The temperature and humidity conditions are controlled by adjusting evaporative cooling caused by the air flow moving past the fibrous support. According to an embodiment a number of such units can be linked together to enable the desired upscaling. Sequential passage of the medium using two or more organisms in successive units enables multiple bioconversions. A device for .use for fermentation, in a continuous manner according to a preferred embodiment is herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig.l shows the plan view of the device. Fig.2 shows the horizontal tube and » Fig.3 show the section view of the horizontal tube having fibrous support hanging thereon. Referring to the drawings particularly Fig.l the device has a medium supply line 1 connected to a manifold 2 provided for connecting plurality of horizontal tubes 3 connected therewith. Perforations/ holes 3A are provided in the horizontal tubes on the upper side thereof for facilitating the flow of medium there through. Pieces of fibrous support 4 (for example foam) are hanging on said horizontal tubes so as to enable downward gravitational flow of the medium from the said horizontal tubes 3. A collectrom tray 5 is provided below the fibrous support for collecting the medium flowing through the fibrous support. An outlet 5A is provided with the collection tray 5 for the flow of medium from the collection tray 5. An enclosing box 6 is provided for shielding the above mentioned components so as to protect from contamination caused by aerial microorganisms. An inlet 7 is provided at one side of the box 6 near the bottom end for supplying air inside the box. An outlet 7A is provided at jthe top surface of the box 7 for exit of the hot air from the box. A temperature probe 8 is provided at the top surface for measuring the temperature of the box. According to an embodiment another device has mentioned herein above may be connected in flow communication with the outlet 5A of the first device for further bioconverted of the medium received from the first device and in a continuous manner. Sequential passages of the medium using in 2 or more organisms in successive devices enables multiple bioconversions. For operating the device the enyiornmeht of the device to the desired temperature, air flow rate and medium concentration is adjusted. The fibrous supports are wet with the medium. A suspension of the appropriate oal'feiare'of the microorganisms is/ then sprayed on to the fibrous supports and the microorganisms are then allowed to grow on the fibrous support. The medium is now allowed to flow through the device to reach a steady state of bioconversion. The flow of medium is continued through tthe manifold horizontal tubes, the fibrous supports and the collection tray to bring about the fermentation into continuous manner. When the device is to be used for isolation of strains with certain desired, characteristics, corresponding conditions are imposed on the system I such as carbon source, pH, temperature, salt concentration etc. and the fibrous support is made freely accessible to atmospheric airborne microorganisms. The device proposed by the present invention may be used for producing a variety of metabolics-j such as organic acids, enzymes, antibiotics, amino acids and the like , I CLAIM: 1. A device for solid state/surface fermentation in a continuous manner comprising a medium supply line (1) connected to a manifold (2) to connect a series of horizontal tubes (3) provided with a series of perforations (3 A) on the horizontal face as outlets for the medium, pieces of fibrous support (4) hanging down from each of said horizontal tubes (3) provided to enable downward gravitational flow of the medium into a collecting tray (5) located just below said fibrous support, a box (6) being adapted to shield the system from gross contamination of aerial micro-organisms, said box being provided with an inlet (7) and an outlet (7A) for controlling the temperature inside the box, and a temperature probe (8) being adapted to measure the temperature in the box. 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said inlet is provided near the bottom end of said box for supplying the air into the box. 3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said outlet is provided at the top surface of said box for the exit of hot air from the box. 4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein an outlet is provided with said collection tray for the exit of collected medium from said collecting tray. 5. A device for solid state/surface fermentation in a continuous manner substantially as herein described and illustrated.

Full Text

This invention relates to a device for solid state/surface fermentation in a continuous manner. Specifically, this invention relates to a device for carrying out the process of solid state/surface fermentation in a continuous manner.
Submerged fermentation is known in the art and, wherein, the step of fermentation is carried out in the bulk of the liquid medium. Submerged fermentation may be of a continuous or batch type. In a batch mode of fermentation, the liquid medium is introduced into a reactor, the organism is inoculated into the medium, and in the presence of oxygen the organism is allowed to grow. The fermentation is terminated at an appropriate stage and the desired product recovered from the medium. In a continuous mode of fermentation a steady state of optimal conversion is achieved and maintained by continuously feeding the reactor with the material to be converted and the product isolated from the continuously drained reaction mixture. An advantage of such a continuous mode of fermentation is that the process is faster and, further, there is a saving in the materials employed for the process.
Solid substrate or surface fermentation is also known in the art and, wherein, the step of
fermentation is carried out on a solid substrate, such as wheat bran. In such a process, the
solid substrate

is suitably moistened; sterilized and spread in trays. The organism is inoculated into the substrate and allowed to grow. Solid substrate fermentation is normally of a batch mode. A disadvantage of this system is that of upsealing. If the depth of the tray is too much/ the inner mass of bran does not receive adequate humidity/ oxygen and withdrawal of metabolic heat. However, an equivalent to the continuous mode of submerged fermentation is to push forward the solid mass through a screw thread type reactor and adjust the retention time appropriately. Here/ although the product can be formed from the substrate continuously/ a disadvantage of such a plug flow device is that there is a considerable wastage of time since the growth of the organism to an appropriate stage is first required. Yet another disadvantage is that a substantial amount of material is required for the process.
Further there is no exact equivalence of the continuous mode of submerged state fermentation in solid state fermentation. This is because of the following limitations:
1. It is not possible to upscale the process without
a mechanism to withdraw the metabolic heat generated from the deep interior of the fermentation mass. 2. It is also not possible to maintain appropriate
levels of humidity and oxygen tension in upscaled systems.

3. There is no known mechanism to continuously feed a substrate and withdraw the finished product from around the microenviornment of the grown organisms.
Therefore an object of this invention is
to propose a novel device for carrying out solid
state/surface fermentations in a continuous manner
and which is efficient.
Another object of this invention is to propose a device for carrying out solid state fermentation in a continuous manner which allows upscaling.
Still another object of this invention is to propose a device for carrying out solid state fermentation in a continuous manner which allows a withdrawal of metabolic heat.
Yet another obiject of this invention is to propose a device for carrying out solid state fermentation in a continuous manner which maintain appropriate levels of humidity and oxygen tension.
A further object of this invention is to propose a device to effect economies of raw material and time by making repeated use of the same biomass grown at the begining.

Another object of this invention is to propose a device to carry out the reaction in a continuous fashion in successive stages using different organisms to bring about sequential bioconversions since it is possible to use the bioconverted medium from an earlier stage as a feed medium for the next organism.
Yet another object of the device is to enable solid state fermentation to be carrtBdiTout in a closed enviornment thereby preventing the exposure of staff to an area which normally is full of microbial population as also to safeguard the microbial biomass from picking up aerial contamination.
Still another object of this invention is to propose a device which can be used for isolating microbial cultures with desired properties by imposing appropriate restrictive condition such as:
i) Isolating microorganisms with ability to biodegrade
a known molecule by incorporating it as single source of carbon in the medium employed, allowing free access of air past the stationary support and picking up the colonies from the support, ii) Isolating organisms which can grow under
defined extreme conditions such as those of pH, temperature, salt concentration etc. by imposing corresponding conditions on the enviornment in the device and collecting strains growing on the stationary support.

According to this invention there is provided a device for solid state/surface fermentation in a continuous manner comprising a medium supply line connected to a manifold to connect a series of horizontal tubes provided with a series of perforations on the horizontal face as outlets for the medium, pieces of fibrous support hanging down from each of said horizontal tubes provided to enable downward gravitational flow of the medium into a collecting tray located just below said fibrous support, a box being adapted to shield the system from gross contamination of aerial micro-organisms, said box being provided with an inlet and an outlet for controlling the temperature inside the box, and a temperature probe being adapted to measure the temperature in the box.
In accordance with this invention, a microbial culture is allowed to grow to an
appropriate level on the stationary fibrous support after which the medium is let through
the fibrous support under desired conditions of temperature, airflow, etc. to optimize
bioconversion. The concentration and flow rate of the medium is so adjusted as to obtain
the desired level of humidity and degree of bioconversion based on the availability of
biomass and retention time in the flow through volume. The medium flows from a main
reservoir (not shown in the figure), through an appropriate filter (not shown in the figure),
the supply line, the manifold, individual tubes,

and fibrous support. The fermentative conversion is brought about its passage through the fibres of the fibrous support on the outer sides of which the desired organisms is present at the optimum stage of growth. The flow rate is so adjusted as to bring about the bioconversion in the time taken for its downward passage. The temperature and humidity conditions are controlled by adjusting evaporative cooling caused by the air flow moving past the fibrous support.
According to an embodiment a number of such units can be linked together to enable the desired upscaling. Sequential passage of the medium using two or more organisms in successive units enables multiple bioconversions.
A device for .use for fermentation, in a continuous manner according to a preferred embodiment is herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:
Fig.l shows the plan view of the device.
Fig.2 shows the horizontal tube and
»
Fig.3 show the section view of the horizontal
tube having fibrous support hanging thereon.
Referring to the drawings particularly Fig.l the device has a medium supply line 1 connected to a

manifold 2 provided for connecting plurality of horizontal tubes 3 connected therewith. Perforations/ holes 3A are provided in the horizontal tubes on the upper side thereof for facilitating the flow of medium there through. Pieces of fibrous support 4 (for example foam) are hanging on said horizontal tubes so as to enable downward gravitational flow of the medium from the said horizontal tubes 3. A collectrom tray 5 is provided below the fibrous support for collecting the medium flowing through the fibrous support. An outlet 5A is provided with the collection tray 5 for the flow of medium from the collection tray 5. An enclosing box 6 is provided for shielding the above mentioned components so as to protect from contamination caused by aerial microorganisms. An inlet 7 is provided at one side of the box 6 near the bottom end for supplying air inside the box. An outlet 7A is provided at jthe top surface of the box 7 for exit of the hot air from the box. A temperature probe 8 is provided at the top surface for measuring the temperature of the box.
According to an embodiment another device has mentioned herein above may be connected in flow communication with the outlet 5A of the first device for further bioconverted of the medium received from the first device and in a continuous manner. Sequential

passages of the medium using in 2 or more organisms
in successive devices enables multiple bioconversions.
For operating the device the enyiornmeht of the device to the desired temperature, air flow rate and medium concentration is adjusted. The fibrous supports are wet with the medium. A suspension of the appropriate oal'feiare'of the microorganisms is/ then sprayed on to the fibrous supports and the microorganisms are then allowed to grow on the fibrous support. The medium is now allowed to flow through the device to reach a steady state of bioconversion. The flow of medium is continued through tthe manifold horizontal tubes, the fibrous supports and the collection tray to bring about the fermentation into continuous manner.
When the device is to be used for isolation of strains with certain desired, characteristics,
corresponding conditions are imposed on the system
I such as carbon source, pH, temperature, salt
concentration etc. and the fibrous support is made
freely accessible to atmospheric airborne microorganisms.
The device proposed by the present invention may be used for producing a variety of metabolics-j such as organic acids, enzymes, antibiotics, amino acids and the like ,

I CLAIM:
1. A device for solid state/surface fermentation in a continuous manner comprising a medium supply line (1) connected to a manifold (2) to connect a series of horizontal tubes (3) provided with a series of perforations (3 A) on the horizontal face as outlets for the medium, pieces of fibrous support (4) hanging down from each of said horizontal tubes (3) provided to enable downward gravitational flow of the medium into a collecting tray (5) located just below said fibrous support, a box (6) being adapted to shield the system from gross contamination of aerial micro-organisms, said box being provided with an inlet (7) and an outlet (7A) for controlling the temperature inside the box, and a temperature probe (8) being adapted to measure the temperature in the box.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said inlet is provided near the bottom end of said box for supplying the air into the box.
3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said outlet is provided at the top surface of said box for the exit of hot air from the box.
4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein an outlet is provided with said collection tray for the exit of collected medium from said collecting tray.
5. A device for solid state/surface fermentation in a continuous manner substantially as herein described and illustrated.

Documents:

672-del-1995-abstract.pdf

672-del-1995-claims.pdf

672-del-1995-correspondence-others.pdf

672-del-1995-correspondence-po.pdf

672-del-1995-description (complete).pdf

672-del-1995-drawings.pdf

672-del-1995-form-1.pdf

672-del-1995-form-2.pdf

672-del-1995-form-3.pdf

672-del-1995-form-4.pdf

672-del-1995-form-6.pdf

672-del-1995-form-9.pdf

672-del-1995-gpa.pdf

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Patent Number

190744

Indian Patent Application Number

672/DEL/1995

PG Journal Number

31/2009

Publication Date

31-Jul-2009

Grant Date

22-Mar-2004

Date of Filing

17-Apr-1995

Name of Patentee

ARVIND PURUSHOTTAM JOSI

Applicant Address

NATIONSALS OF 40/191, CHITTARANJAN PARK, NEW DELHI-1100 019

Inventors:

#	Inventor's Name	Inventor's Address
1	ARVIND PURUSHOTTAM JOSHI	NATIONSALS OF 40/191, CHITTARANJAN PARK, NEW DELHI-1100 019
2	KALPANA JOSHI	NATIONSALS OF 40/191, CHITTARANJAN PARK, NEW DELHI-1100 019

PCT International Classification Number

C12F 1/00

PCT International Application Number

N/A

PCT International Filing date

PCT Conventions:

#	PCT Application Number	Date of Convention	Priority Country
1			NA